


zugzwang

by apotheosizing



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Other, POV Outsider, Relationship Study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-24 21:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22005034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apotheosizing/pseuds/apotheosizing
Summary: Last night, the Marquess' masquerade went terribly wrong. This morning, a servant of the house watches a certain guest pick up the pieces.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Non-Binary Character
Kudos: 3





	zugzwang

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stranger__aeons](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stranger__aeons/gifts).
  * Inspired by [A Requiem of Wings](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/545527) by Ashley Warren. 



Sunlight streamed through the windows of the manor, illuminating its solitary guest as they poured over the contents of the will in their hands. The mere fact of their presence was not unusual to Rione. She had been in the employ of the Marquess for a number of years herself, to say nothing of the rumours she had overheard from more senior members of the household staff. She was accustomed to Mx. Krasendel’s presence in the manor well enough that she could recite their preferences for tea by heart (black, three spoonfuls of sugar – which had never failed to amuse the Marquess, for some inscrutable reason).

Despite that fact, something about the way the light enveloped the contours of their face gave them an uncanny pallor. They were still dressed in the same rich fabric of their dress from the night before, their jet black hair still lay in a carefully braided knot, and their gray eyes held the same confidence that made her never question their association with the Marquess, but something had cast a shadow over it all.

Rione hovered by the frame of the doorway, anticipating the potential that they might require some assistance from her, but they had barely acknowledged her from the moment they first swept into the manor with the first light of the sun. Such behaviour was expected of the Marquess, who had been a distant though not unkind figure of authority in all the years Rione had worked at the manor, but not from Mx. Krasendel. They had always made a point to make small talk with the staff, though it never went deeper than a show of politeness. It spoke to their absorption in the task at hand that they had not said a word to her.

She did not take offense, given the circumstances of their visit. There had been a long-standing betting pool among the staff on the nature of the relationship between the Marquess and her guest. It was clear from spending a few moments in the room with the two of them that they had known each other for some time; they spoke with the familiarity of years of acquaintance. Aside from that simple observation, no one could claim with certainty what form that acquaintance had morphed into. All Rione had to go on was Mx. Krasendel once referring to the two of them as “old friends” with an ironic quirk of their lips on the only occasion that she had been brave enough to put the question to them directly. She had refrained from speculating more on the matter since. Regardless, to be named as the sole beneficiary of the Marquess’ will spoke to something different between them, in Rione’s opinion.

The rumour-mill had been spinning since the explosive conclusion of the night’s festivities. No one could agree on precisely what the Marquess had truly been, but Rione had heard theories ranging from a simple conjurer of horrors to a monster in her own right. The ones who could conclusively provide an answer, the half-orc and tiefling who had slain her in the midst of her mad plan coming to fruition, had been swept out under the eye of Lord Rosewood not long after the matter had been settled. She wondered if Mx. Krasendel had known or if they had been just as surprised as the rest of them. The grim determination she had marked in their face spoke to something changed in them by what had happened, she thought, though she wouldn’t presume to know why.

By midday, once they had finished itemizing the contents of the manor, they turned to look at Rione. “Please inform the head of staff that I will be leaving the maintenance of this house to their discretion. I… cannot stay in Ibrido to oversee it myself. All of the staff currently retained here will continue to be paid for their work. Tell those who wish to leave to speak with me before they do so.” She nodded, trying to keep the surprise from her expression. Maintaining a full complement of staff in an empty house was an odd choice – certainly not an inexpensive one – but she sensed a reluctance to remain in the building from their hesitance over their own place in all this that she could not fault. “I will remain in the cathedral for a day before I depart, should you need me.”

Rione nodded again, though needlessly, as she was following the guest on their way to the front door. She wanted to offer some words of sympathy to them but found she could not arrange them in any way that did not make it sound like a foolish platitude. “After tomorrow, if we need you, where can we reach you, ser?”

A pause, as some nameless expression flitted across their face. “Speak to the bishop. He will pass any urgent messages to me and I will respond as promptly as I am able,” they said. Rione curtsied her acknowledgement. With some of their usual aspect recovered with notable effort, they bade her farewell with a simple “Be well, Rione.”

As the heavy cherry doors of the manor closed with a snap behind them, she hurried off to impart their message to the head of staff. Although she had attended Mx. Krasendel’s visit with the stirrings of some wild hope that she might understand what had happened the night before, she found herself only with more questions to ruminate on and no more answers than she had already uncovered.

**Author's Note:**

> sometimes you just need to make the angel and devil who are in opposition queer, you feel me?


End file.
